Exhumer is an Italian Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore band that formed back in 2004. That very year, they issued their first demo, Sick & Deviance, which attracted the attention of local smaller label Despise the Sun Records, contracting the band to issue their debut full-length album Bloodcurdling Tool of Digestion in August of 2008. A number of line-up changes took place before and after that album hit shelves, leaving the entity to be comprised of eldest member guitarist Marco “Furiogrind” Aromataio (Corpsefucking Art, Stench of Dismemberment), drummer Paolo Damato, bassist Alyosha Danisi (former member of Natron) who recently returned to the group, and Joe Numisa as their vocalist since 2011. Exhumer now find themselves signed to Comatose Music to issue their first new recording in a good five years, Degraded by Sepsis. But, given the lack of attention the band has received outside their home country, are these guys a force to be reckoned with, or is this effort another generic entry into the style?

While eleven tracks long, Degraded by Sepsis is just shy of twenty-six minutes in length, and has a few ambient creations thrown in to offer a truly creepy atmosphere to go along with the brutality. “Admire Your Ending” is a nice extended introductory piece of haunting voices and noises against what sounds like distant hammering similar to a recent episode of tinnitus I suffered, setting a chaotic tone as thunder, chains, and eerie voices speak reversed messages in altered tones. “Misery” is the albums big interlude, starting with a grim piano piece with some analogue effects used to give it a grainy Horror vibe with additional sounds thrown in for a little more bite. Finally there’s “Scent of Decomposition,” which has more of an eighties drug-induced feel to it, like some kind of trippy Horror score that lasts a short time. While it sounds great, this one is obviously cut off a bit too early. Sadly, this would have worked bet er in place of “Misery,” and then moving that track to act as an outro to the album instead of as an interlude before the last two songs.

The horrific and creepy ambient pieces are a nice touch, but the length can feel a bit like padding to make this release a full-length instead of an EP. They also don’t do much to alter the impact of the songs themselves. “Vapours of Cadaveric Mucilage” has a good number of bass drops against some rich audio of mid-range distortions and solid drums that hammer through the mix. The guttural vocals don’t offer much outside the standard hard-to-decipher gutturals and slight squeals, but it suits the commanding, often technical performances well enough. This song is no exception, especially given the energy on display and punishing faster paced material that is just sharp enough to try to eviscerate you. “Adipocere Corporal Glue” shares that complexity in the music, though doesn’t quite hit the same way. While a solid song, some of the simpler riffs that appear from time to time are placed well, but don’t quite share the same enthusiasm that the simplest and more common elements of “Degraded by Sepsis” have. The commanding drums of the title track really go above and beyond at times, especially when shifting in and out of the breakdown that hits about a third of the way through, lending it a far stronger impact overall.

“Pungent Aroma of Uterine Necrosis,” however, doesn’t really bring much complexity to the mix, focusing on catchy riffs with a bludgeoning appeal that will have you banging your head along to the metaphorical brick wall the song presents. The tight drumming and blistering bass kicks really add to the ruthless edge at times, especially at the end when the chords pick up speed for a short amount of time. Much of the same can be said for “Effervescence of Corroded Coarse Remains” thanks to the chugging chords that march through most of the performance. Even when some technicality is present towards the end, the drums maintain that rhythm to keep your head bobbing along in obedience. “Putrescine” finds the complexity more in timing than in the chords or drums performed. There is some intricacy to the instruments, but until a minute and a half in, it is rather toned down compared to other songs, offering to be more of a blunt impact that grows sharper the further in you get but swinging once more to knock you down for the count, but leaving you ready to go one more round.

Degraded by Sepsis doesn’t really do anything too new or unique, sticking to the general Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore formula that has survived as a staple for many bands throughout the years. What makes it special, however, is the quality of the songs, really only faltered by the rather restricted vocal range that leaves you crying out for the inclusion of some raspy screams or some other higher pitched contrast to add a little more bite to the mix. The ambient pieces, while far from bad, also lend an air of suspicion for padding, especially since all but “Admiring Your Ending” could have been cut by at least half, or just placed in different spots, and still had the same effect. But, if you’re a fan of technical brutality and grinding in the vein of groups like Origin or even a less show-offish Brain Drill, Degraded by Sepsis from Exhumer is a commanding assault you won’t soon be able to walk away from.